Dr. Neil Bressler has been a member of the Wilmer Eye Institute's faculty since 1988 and is the inaugural James P. Gills Professor of Ophthalmology. He specializes in retinal diseases, with special interests in diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. Dr. Bressler's main research interests have been collaborative efforts in clinical trials of common retinal diseases, including age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, having chaired several NIH-sponsored and industry-sponsored multicenter randomized clinical trials and authored almost 300 peer-reviewed publications. He is a past chair of the NIH-sponsored Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network, and was responsible for guidelines, policies, protocol development as well as implementation, and to facilitate Network operations in a way that maintains academic integrity and optimal clinical trial performance. He also has chaired the National Eye Institutes Data and Safety Monitoring Committee for intramural clinical trials and the FDA Ophthalmic Devices Panel. Dr. Bressler is currently editor-in-chief of JAMA Ophthalmology. Dr. Bressler is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. His top areas of expertise are Diabetic Macular Edema (DME), Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration, Vitrectomy, and Cataract Removal.

Yannis M. Paulus, M.D., F.A.C.S., is the Jonas Fridenwald Professor in Ophthalmology, an associate professor in the Johns Hopkins University Department of Ophthalmology and Department of Biomedical Engineering, and a vitreoretinal surgeon at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine’s East Baltimore and Columbia locations. Dr. Paulus served as a surgical retina specialist and director of a research laboratory at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center for almost 10 years, where he developed novel imaging systems, lasers and long-lasting therapies and nanotechnologies to allow physicians to determine cellular markers of disease, enabling early diagnosis, improved treatment monitoring and more individualized, personalized precision medicine tailored to each patient’s needs. After earning his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and physics from Harvard University and his medical degree at Stanford University School of Medicine, Dr. Paulus completed an internship at the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, a residency in ophthalmology at the Stanford University School of Medicine Byers Eye Institute, and a surgical and medical retina fellowship at Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine. CVhttps://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/-/media/wilmer/documents/cvs/Paulus_CV%2021225.pdf. Dr. Paulus is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. His top areas of expertise are Diabetic Retinopathy, Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration, Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), Vitrectomy, and Cataract Removal.

Michael Elman is an Ophthalmologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Elman is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. His top areas of expertise are Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration, Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), Diabetic Retinopathy, Retinal Vein Occlusion, and Vitrectomy. Dr. Elman is currently accepting new patients.

Dr. Susan Bressler is the Julia G. Levy, Ph.D. Professor of Ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute. She is an ophthalmologist and has subspecialty training in medical retinal disorders, vitreoretinal disease, and retinal surgery. Her main research interest has been collaborative efforts in clinical trials - serving as principal investigator of an image reading center that has served as a central unit for many clinical trials and epidemiologic investigations, as Vice Chair of the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network and as principal investigator of a participating clinical center in several major clinical trials. Most studies have specific emphasis on the treatment of both non-neovascular and neovascular age-related macular degeneration and all aspects of diabetic retinopathy. Dr. Bressler has a large national and international referral practice. In addition, she has published 223 peer reviewed articles and 55 book chapters. Editorial Board positions have included American Journal of Ophthalmology, Survey of Ophthalmology, Retina, EyeNet Magazine, Health After 50: The Johns Hopkins Medical Letter and the Wilmer Retina Update. Dr. Bressler is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. Her top areas of expertise are Diabetic Macular Edema (DME), Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy, and Vitrectomy.

Peter A. Campochiaro, M.D. is the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Professor of Ophthalmology and Neuroscience at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is a clinician-scientist who directs a research laboratory and conducts clinical trials. His laboratory research is directed at understanding the pathogenesis of ocular neovascularization and excessive retinal vascular permeability, and the mechanism of cone cell death in inherited retinal degenerations. He helped to determine the importance of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hypoxia-inducible factor-1, and Tie2 in retinal and choroidal vascular diseases. The clinical trial group under Dr. Campochairo provided the first demonstration of the benefits of suppression of VEGF in diabetic macular edema and retinal vein occlusion. He has developed strategies for sustained suppression of VEGF that are currently being tested in clinical trials. Dr. Campochiaro trained at the University of Notre Dame, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and the University of Virginia. He did a vitreoretinal fellowship and research fellowships at Johns Hopkins and joined the faculty of the University of Virginia in 1984. He became professor of Ophthalmology and Neuroscience at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins in 1991. Dr. Campochiaro is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. His top areas of expertise are Retinal Vein Occlusion, Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration, Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), Trabeculectomy, and Vitrectomy.

Cindy X. Cai, M.D., is the Jonathan and Marcia Javitt Rising Professor of Ophthalmology and a retina specialist seeing patients at the Wilmer Eye Institute’s locations in the Baltimore, Maryland area. Her primary focuses are in medical and surgical retina treatments, including: diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, age-related macular degeneration, retinal vascular occlusion, retinal detachment, vitreous hemorrhage, epiretinal membrane, and macular hole, among others. Dr. Cai graduated summa cum laude with a major in biology at Columbia University and received her M.D. from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York. She completed her medical internship at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore and her ophthalmology residency training at the Wilmer Eye Institute. She received her vitreoretinal surgery fellowship training at Duke Eye Center. Videos Dr. Cindy X. CaiOphthalmologist and Retina Specialist Recent News Articles and Media Coverage Continuing the Mission, Johns Hopkins Medicine (Dec. 2021) Get to Know Cindy Cai, Wilmer Insider (Apr. 2021). Dr. Cai is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. Her top areas of expertise are Diabetic Retinopathy, Diabetic Macular Edema (DME), Gyrate Atrophy of the Choroid and Retina, Vitrectomy, and Cataract Removal.

Akrit Sodhi, M.D, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute and holds the Branna and Irving Sisenwein Professorship in Ophthalmology. Dr. Sodhi specializes in the medical and surgical management of complex vitreoretinal diseases. Dr. Sodhi was trained at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of California at Davis, and the National Institutes of Health. After obtaining his M.D. and Ph.D., he interned at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore and completed his Ophthalmology Residency training at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins in 2008. He then pursued a fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery at Wilmer where he also served as the Assistant Chief of Service (Chief Resident). Dr. Sodhi joined the faculty of the Retina Division at Wilmer in 2010. His research interests, currently sponsored by grants from the National Eye Institute, include the examination of the role of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) and HIF-regulated genes in ocular diseases, including diabetic eye disease, age-related macular degeneration, sickle cell retinopathy, retinal vein occlusions, and uveal melanoma. Dr. Sodhi's lab has identified novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of these vision-threatening diseases. Dr. Sodhi is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. His top areas of expertise are Retinal Vein Occlusion, Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), Diabetic Retinopathy, and Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration.

Elia J. Duh, M.D., is the G. Edward and G. Britton Durell Professor of Ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute. He has a joint appointment in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Whiting School of Engineering. He specializes in diseases of the retina, including diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Duh actively researches the molecular mechanisms underlying diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration, particularly the process of ocular neovascularization and excessive retinal vascular permeability. His research has helped determine the role of the major antioxidant regulator, Nrf2, in retinal diseases, and also connected Nrf2 to lifespan. His work has also provided insights into the involvement of the eye in COVID-19. Dr. Duh’s interest in developing new treatments for retinal diseases includes nanomedicine approaches for targeted drug delivery to the eye. Dr. Duh graduated summa cum laude from Yale University and obtained his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He completed his ophthalmology residency and medical retina fellowship at the Wilmer Eye Institute. He was elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation in 2016. Dr. Duh is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. His top areas of expertise are Diabetic Retinopathy, Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration, Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), Retinal Vein Occlusion, and Vitrectomy.

Lisa Schocket is an Ophthalmologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Schocket is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. Her top areas of expertise are Diabetic Retinopathy, Retinal Detachment, Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), and Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration. Dr. Schocket is currently accepting new patients.

Nathan Congdon is an Ophthalmologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Congdon is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. His top areas of expertise are Presbyopia, Nearsightedness, Diabetic Retinopathy, Cataract Removal, and Trabeculectomy.

Fernando Arevalo is an Ophthalmologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Arevalo is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. His top areas of expertise are Gyrate Atrophy of the Choroid and Retina, Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration, and Diabetic Retinopathy.

Peter L. Gehlbach, M.D., Ph.D. is the J. Willard Marriott, Jr. Professor of Ophthalmology with joint appointment in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The Whiting School of Engineering. A member of the Wilmer faculty since 2000, he was recruited by a national search to become the inaugural Maumenee Scholar at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His clinical practice is composed of international, national, and regional patient populations with the most complex retinal disease. An expert vitreoretinal surgeon, Dr. Gehlbach has been a leader in performing and teaching complex surgical cases that require coordination with multiple ophthalmological specialists. His research interests include cutting-edge surgical approaches to patients with retinal disease and the development of novel surgical tools and approaches to retinal microsurgery. Dr. Gehlbach’s work has been supported by multiple NIH grants and prestigious foundations with research published in numerous peer-reviewed journals and presented at ophthalmology conferences around the world. The founding director of the former Wilmer Gene Therapy Vector Center, he has served as the director of the Wilmer Echography Center as well as the Retina Fellowship Training Program at Johns Hopkins. He holds multiple patents in both the U.S. and abroad. Dr. Gehlbach received his B.A. and M.D. degrees from the University of Vermont, and his Ph.D. in cell and integrative physiology from the University of Minnesota. He completed an internship and residency training in general surgery at the University of Health Sciences, Chicago Medical School. His ophthalmology residency was at Washington University in St. Louis, where he also completed a fellowship in protein chemistry. He completed a medical and surgical retina fellowship at the Casey Eye Institute in Portland. Dr. Gehlbach is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. His top areas of expertise are Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration, Retinal Detachment, Retinal Vein Occlusion, and Vitrectomy.

Mira M. Sachdeva, M.D., Ph.D. specializes in the medical and surgical management of diseases of the retina, including diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, retinal vascular occlusions, retinal detachments, macular holes, and epiretinal membranes. Her research efforts are directed towards developing new treatments to prevent or reverse the retinal neurodegeneration and vision loss that occurs in patients with diabetes. Dr. Sachdeva’s ultimate goal is to identify strategies for neuroprotection that are broadly applicable to other conditions in which the retina is irreversibly damaged, including macular degeneration and retinal detachment. Dr. Sachdeva received her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania medical school. She completed her residency at the Wilmer Eye Institute in 2014. Thereafter, she completed a fellowship at the Massachusetts Ear and Eye Infirmary. Dr. Sachdeva is currently a Wilmer Rising Professor in Ophthalmology. Videos Dr. SachdevaOphthalmology Recent News Articles and Media Coverage Bridging the Gap, Wilmer Magazine (July 2019). Dr. Sachdeva is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. Her top areas of expertise are Diabetic Retinopathy, Retinal Detachment, Adult-Onset Vitelliform Macular Dystrophy (AVMD), Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration, and Vitrectomy.

Adrienne W. Scott, M.D, is a retina specialist and the Fred M. Leader Family Retina Professor of ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute's locations in Baltimore and Bel Air, Maryland. Dr. Scott treats patients across the spectrum of vitreoretinal medical and surgical diseases, including macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachments and more. Dr. Scott received her doctor of medicine degree from Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and completed her ophthalmology residency at the Duke University Eye Center. During her residency, Dr. Scott received the Ocular Innovation Award, the K. Alexander Dastgheib Eye Surgery Award and the Edward K. Isbey, Jr. M.D. Award for clinical excellence. She remained at the Duke Eye Center to complete her two-year fellowship training in vitreoretinal surgery prior to joining the Wilmer faculty. Dr. Scott is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. Her top areas of expertise are Retinal Detachment, Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration, and Diabetic Retinopathy.

Dr. Sudipa Sarkar is an assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her areas of clinical expertise include endocrinology. She received her M.D. from Yale School of Medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Yale-New Haven Hospital and performed a fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Sarkar joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in 2017. Dr. Sarkar is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. Her top areas of expertise are Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), Diabetic Retinopathy, Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young, Diabetic Neuropathy, and Sleeve Gastrectomy.

James T. Handa, M.D., is Chief of the Retina Division and the Robert Bond Welch, M.D., Professor of Ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute. He specializes in medical and surgical management of complex vitreoretinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, retinopathy of prematurity and other pediatric retinal diseases. He also has expertise in intraocular oncology and manages patients with choroidal melanomas and metastatic tumors of the eye. Not only is he a highly skilled surgeon and clinician, but he also devotes significant effort to research related to the early causes of age-related macular degeneration using molecular pathological approaches to understand how the eye transforms from normal aging to early disease. He has been funded by the National Eye Institute for the last 19 years, and he currently holds two R01 awards for his work in AMD. He has also been funded by the Thome Foundation, Research to Prevent Blindness, Fight for Sight and the American Health Assistance Foundation. His other research focuses on surgical innovation using an integrated robotic surgical system. Dr. Handa is currently the Wilmer Eye Institute’s implanting surgeon for the Argus II retinal chip implant, which was recently approved by the FDA after Dr. Handa participated in the clinical trial leading to its approval. Dr. Handa is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. His top areas of expertise are Melanoma of the Eye, Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration, Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), Metastatic Uveal Melanoma, and Vitrectomy.

Dr. Mathioudakis, an endocrinologist and researcher, has a strong focus on diabetes management and patient care, recognized through awards like the Baltimore Top Doc. He has contributed significantly to diabetes research, authoring over 150 publications and participating in the development of consensus guidelines in the field. His studies have offered valuable insights into using health informatics for diabetes prevention and management. After graduating from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and completing his training in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Endocrinology, Diabetes, & Metabolism, Dr. Mathioudakis joined the faculty in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism in 2012. He earned a Master of Health Science in clinical investigation in 2015 and was the Clinical Director of the Division of Endocrinology from 2016 to 2021. Currently, he co-directs the Baltimore Metropolitan Diabetes Regional Partnership, focusing on improving access to diabetes prevention and management programs. As a physician-scientist, Dr. Mathioudakis leads multiple research studies funded by the NIH, private philanthropic organizations (Helmsley Charitable Trust), non-profit organizations (Breakthrough T1D), and industry. His research focuses on the effectiveness of automated diabetes prevention programs and strategies to reduce racial disparities in diabetes technology access. He also collaborates nationally to enhance care for people with type 1 diabetes. Holding a joint appointment in the Division of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science, Dr. Mathioudakis integrates machine learning and AI in diabetes research. He has served on the national Epic Endocrinology Specialty Steering Board and chaired the Type 2 Diabetes Prognostics Working Group for the Precision Medicine Diabetes Initiative. Committed to education, he frequently lectures on endocrinology, epidemiology, and health informatics. Dr. Mathioudakis is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. His top areas of expertise are Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), Low Blood Sugar, Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young, and Pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Dr. Donner's clinical and research interests have focused on the prevention of complications in patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes. For 6 years, he was the Associate Medical Director of the Joslin Diabetes Center affiliate at the University of Maryland, and then Medical Director from 2004 - 2010. After joining the faculty at Johns Hopkins University in 2010, his clinical and research interests became fully dedicated to diabetes. He became the Director of The Johns Hopkins Diabetes Center in 2011. He has been a clinical investigator in a number of NIH- and industry-funded diabetes research trials. Dr. Donner was a co-PI in the NIH-funded Veterans Affairs Implantable Insulin Pump Study, a Co-PI on the NIDDK-funded Diabetes Control and Complications Trial / Epidemiology of Diabetes Intervention and Complications (DCCT / EDIC) Study for 16 years, and Co-PI for the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes (BARI 2D) for 7 years. Recently, he has served as PI for the Durable-response therapy Evaluation For Early or New-onset type 1 Diabetes (DEFEND-1). Dr. Donner is currently collaborating with Dr. Abdel Hamad in Immunology on preventing B-regulatory cell apoptosis using a novel monoclonal antibody targeting the presumptive apoptotic factor. This antibody prevents the development of type 1 diabetes in non obese diabetic mice. Dr. Donner is the PI for Johns Hopkins for TrialNet, a multicenter, international consortium of investigators studying ways to prevent Type 1 diabetes and preserve insulin secretion in individuals with newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetes. He is also a PI for a study investigating FIAsp, a faster-acting insulin aspart in subjects with type 1 diabetes, and is working with investigators at the Johns Hopkins School of Engineering on an implantable insulin pump which delivers insulin intravenously. Dr. Donner is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. His top areas of expertise are Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), Diabetic Nephropathy, Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), and Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young.

Bryce Chiang, M.D., Ph.D., is an assistant professor of ophthalmology and a glaucoma specialist at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine East Baltimore location. His clinical interests include the medical and surgical management of glaucoma and cataract. After receiving his combined bachelor’s/master’s degrees in biomedical engineering from The Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Chiang completed joint M.D./Ph.D. degrees at the Emory University School of Medicine. During his doctorate in biomedical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Dr. Chiang became interested in ophthalmology through his research in ocular drug delivery. He served as a medicine intern at Highland Hospital in Oakland, California, and completed his ophthalmology residency, glaucoma fellowship and innovation fellowship at the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University. Dr. Chiang’s research interests include targeted ocular drug delivery, specifically within the suprachoroidal space and to the optic nerve head. He studied the pharmacokinetics of microneedle injections into the suprachoroidal space while pursuing his doctorate at Georgia Tech, and maintains an interest in the suprachoroidal space as a means of altering disease trajectory. Furthermore, despite the optic nerve head being the site of disease in optic neuropathies, no therapies exist that treat the optic nerve head. By directly treating the diseased tissue, targeting therapeutics to the optic nerve head may enable paradigm shifting therapies for optic neuropathies. Targeted delivery to the optic nerve head may also serve as a research tool to query the pathogenesis of glaucoma. Dr. Chiang is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. His top areas of expertise are Glaucoma, Ocular Hypertension (OHT), Uveitis, and Nearsightedness.

Ishrat Ahmed, M.D., Ph.D., is an assistant professor of ophthalmology in the Retina Division of the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine. Dr. Ahmed received her combined medical degree and doctoral degree in neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2017. She is also an alumna of the Wilmer 2021 ophthalmology residency program. Most recently, Dr. Ahmed completed a vitreoretinal surgical fellowship at Massachusetts Eye and Ear in Boston. Dr. Ahmed specializes in the management of macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal tears, retinal vein occlusion and other vascular diseases of the retina. She also specializes in the surgical management of retinal detachments, retinal trauma, macular holes, and epiretinal membranes, among others. With a research background in neurodegeneration, Dr. Ahmed has a clinical and research interest in inherited retinal diseases. Dr. Ahmed is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. Her top areas of expertise are Retinal Detachment, Endophthalmitis, Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), and Glaucoma.